882BCE: Gorwinua’s wild nature made her unsuited for helping to construct the Orbs’ defenses. She began writing an epic poem that detailed the Heroes’ exploits during the Dragon War.
As work on the defenses for the Dragon Orbs continued, Tentineh and realized that no matter how well-constructed their protections were, they would eventually be breached. Tentineh suggested a solution. Each of the Heroes of the Dragon War would bind his or her soul to one of the Orbs. When the Orb was broken, that Hero would be returned to life, ready to fight the dragons once again. The other Heroes approved of the idea and Tentineh began designing the complicated spell that would put each of the Heroes in stasis when they were ready to “die.” In this stasis each would await the breaking of the Orb their soul protected. Continue reading →

When the Dragon War ended, Bigby was 103, still young for an elf. He helped the other Heroes to design defenses for the Dragon Orbs. After twenty years most of them had moved on into the stasis. All the other Heroes could only be awakened by the destruction of the Orbs of Dragonkind. Bigby and Toffoun were all that was left.

Bigby was happy to retire to the forest that grew to bear his name. He lived for dozens of years supporting himself by teaching his magic to the Elves of his homeland and any others who wished to learn. Romantic relationships came and went, lasting for years or decades and then dissolving amicably as is the way of the Elves. Bigby had three children and played an active role in their upbringing. The outside world was not without conflict, but Bigby stayed apart. He had seen and done enough during the Dragon War.

When Toffoun retired, the dwarf took one last trip to see Bigby. The two reminisced about their times together. The visit was what Bigby needed to say goodbye to the world. He made his farewells to his family, his friends, his children, and the places he knew. After all was finished Bigby was the last to enter the Dragon Orb slumber.

-GoCorral

Next up I’ll be turning each of these After the Dragon War articles into timelines. After that I’d like to explore the Dwarven Kingdom a bit more. I’ve laid the foundations with Toffoun, Cogard, and the Fierce Axe. Just gotta hammer out the specifics.

The Heroes of the Dragon War pooled their resources to erect defenses around the Orbs of Dragonkind. They decided that five of the Orbs would be defended in the same location by a nearly impassable obstacle. The other five Orbs would be hidden separately within dungeons that the Heroes would build and protect. Continue reading →

Tentineh labored to build defenses for the Dragon Orbs entrusted to his care. Shratalanda, Bigby, and Danar assisted in designing the protections for the Orbs. While working they discussed the inevitability of their deaths and the release of the dragons. No matter how well-designed their protections were, they would eventually be breached. The Orbs would be found and broken, releasing the terrible scourge of dragons upon the world again. No matter how well defended, the Orbs simply could not be locked away for all eternity.

Tentineh suggested a solution. Each of the Heroes of the Dragon War could bind his or her soul to one of the Orbs. When the Orb was broken, that Hero would be returned to life, ready to fight the dragons once again. There was only one problem with this plan, in order to bind a person to the Orb, that person would have to voluntarily give up their life. A death without the afterlife. Their souls would not pass on to Erebos and Elysium. They would remain with the Orbs ready to reappear when they were needed.

Shratalanda, Bigby, and Danar approved of the idea. They would get their affairs in order before binding their souls to the Orbs. Danar left to inform the other Heroes of the Dragon War who had spread out across Cimmeria. Shratalanda, Bigby, and Tentineh set to designing the specifics of this unusual soul-binding spell.

893BCE: Eathirilu led the dragon-allied Elves of the Dry Woods in a raid against Bigby’s encampment. The raid proved an amazing success. Bigby himself was captured along with the Copper Orb of Dragonkind. Eathirilu ensured that no messages left the Dry Woods before beginning preparations for an attack on Phoenix.
Knowing that he needed additional assistance, Eathirilu called upon the dark fey of the forest. Davonisi, the druidic leader of the hostile Unseelie faeries, answered Eathirilu’s call. She joined his march through the countryside towards Phoenix. Davonisi’s fey scouted ahead and committed unspeakable atrocities against every mortal they encountered on the way. None were left alive to bring word of the army’s approach to Phoenix. Eathirilu was unsettled by Davonisi’s actions and began to wonder which side was truly just in the Dragon War. Continue reading →

897BCE: The dragons led their combined armies to attack Sheerzen. They were constantly outflanked on their journey there. The Heroes always seemed to be one step ahead of the dragon-led army. Unknown to the dragons, this was due to the power of the Orbs. Anyone holding an Orb could detect the movement of nearby dragons, allowing perfect scouting of the draconic forces. The thrust towards Sheerzen was outmaneuvered and defeated. Continue reading →

911BCE: Danar ruled justly for a decade. Rilopenaril and Langudina both advised him, but Danar always followed the advice of the bronze dragon brother. Langudina took to sulking within Apollo’s Hill as Rilopenaril had before her. After ruling as a good king for a time, Rilopenaril informed his descendant of the plan he had concocted with Shratalanda to end draconic tyranny over the land forever. Danar embraced the idea and began training the people of Sheerzen so that they would be ready for the coming war.

900BCE: The mortal led armies of Gorwinua, Amalgami, Toffoun, and Tentineh operated in the open, taking actions to counter the rule of the dragons. Tentineh called the heroes of the land together to organize the overthrow of the dragon hegemony. Gorwinua, Amalgami, Toffoun, and Tentineh gathered in Greshendale along with Danar, Jovy, Cecilia, Shratalanda, Tracy, and Bigby.
Shratalanda revealed the plan she had begun enacting nearly a century before. The dragons were divine creatures and could thus never be truly killed, but they could be imprisoned. What could bind a beast as powerful as a dragon though? Shratalanda suggested using the dragon’s magical powers against each other. Since the dragons ruled in pairs, the power of each could be turned against the other.
The group of heroes even had an ally among the dragons. Rilopenaril hated the evil rule his relatives had imposed upon the mortals of Cimmeria. He had been working with Shratalanda to steer events towards the Dragon War which now began. The ten heroes vowed to combine their forces and exploit the disunity of the dragons. Each of the pairs could be brought down and imprisoned one by one.

899BCE: The ten heroes struck quickly, imprisoning three pairs of dragon monarchs, white, black, and brass. Three powerful orbs were constructed to contain the dragons. One of each pair was locked within the orb while the other was bound to protect it from all who would seek to misuse or destroy it. Tikanile was imprisoned within the White Orb with Shivara set as his guard. Pithwatolzar was imprisoned within the Black Orb with Kovan’rorshac set as his guard. Hazorshrakan was imprisoned within the Brass Orb with Forsoman set as her guard. These orbs were dubbed the Orbs of Dragonkind.

898BCE: The dragons organized their defenses against the heroes and their armies. Mortals loyal to the dragons rose up to defend their masters. The flames of the Dragon War grew hot as battles raged all across Cimmeria.